A Gift Freely Given
by MosaicCreme
Summary: Shepard comes to Thane, ready to make her move, but it doesn't turn out quite like she expected. [Smut]


**A/N: For Esper17**

 **A Gift Freely Given**

Shepard opened the door to Life Support, instantly spotting Thane standing in front of the observation window, his back to her, but she knew it didn't mean he didn't know she was there. She stepped inside, crossing the floor, and he turned to face her, expression inquisitive but neutral. She spent weeks dancing around him, weeks wanting him, flirting and retreating, always just staying on the wrong side of telling him how she felt. She felt certain he knew she was interested in him, it almost seemed to be a game to him, to wait her out and see when she'd make her move. Having finally found the courage to go after what she wanted, she wasn't about to quit until she had it, had _him_.

Stopping barely a foot from him, she held his gaze. He didn't flinch, didn't blink, didn't speak. Only watched her, his silence daring her to close the last of the distance, so she did. She reached for him, but his hand darted out, fingers closing around her wrist, stopping her fingers inches from his face. Letting a soft, exasperated huff of air escape her nose, she set her jaw and pressed against his grip, but he only lifted a brow ridge, the corner of his mouth taking on a smug tilt. She lifted her other hand, stepping in a little closer, her chest brushing against his. He grabbed that wrist, too, stopping her hand precisely the same distance from making contact as the other.

She let out a sigh, ignoring the rising sting of impending rejection and made one last attempt, leaning in to try to close the space between their lips. Thane spun her, forcing her against the glass. Lifting first one of her hands and then the other, he pressed her palms against the observation window, chest against her back, pinning her in place.

His chuckle sounded next to her ear, soft and raspy. "Shepard. Did you need something?"

"Yes," she said, swallowing, trying to work the words 'I want you, Thane. I have feelings for you.' out of her mouth, but they refused to come. The voice in the back of her head telling her to show no emotion. No weakness. Coming on to him she could handle, she knew what to do with casual sex, but the other thing felt too dangerous to risk.

He hummed, warm breath brushing across Shepard's neck and ear. "How may I be of assistance?"

She tried to turn, but his grip remained steady, locking her hands against the window. Arching her back suggestively, she pushed herself against him, turning her head to brush her face against his frills. Trying to show him with her body what she didn't dare— _couldn't_ —say aloud. His only response was to move one of her hands, pulling her arm behind her and trapping it between them. Unable to do anything else, she gripped the leather of his vest in her fist. Lifting his free hand to her chin, he tugged her face away from his, trailing his fingers down until they splayed out over her throat.

"What do you require of me, Shepard?" he asked, whispered words against her skin, the faintest brush of his lips tearing a ragged breath from her. Goddamnit, he intended to make her actually _say_ it.

Forcing the words out through clenched teeth, she said, "I want you, Thane." But that was it, she couldn't manage the rest.

He brought his hand up a little, using the tips of his fingers to turn her chin until she could just see the profile of his face in her peripherals. "You want me?" he asked, voice affecting an innocent naiveté she knew damn well wasn't genuine.

Shepard licked her lips, heart pounding against her ribs. "Yes." She saw his reflection in the glass, the slow, self-satisfied smirk spreading across his lips only adding to her frustration and her arousal.

Lowering his mouth to her neck, he nipped at her skin, making her tremble with the sudden shock of sensation. "And what is it you want with me?"

She groaned. She hated dirty talk, despised it. He knew what she wanted, why couldn't he either just give her what she'd come for, or turn her down and let her walk away to lick her wounded pride in peace? Why did he have to play games? He pressed his thumb to her lips, silencing her complaints, and she opened her mouth closing her teeth around the tip in an empty threat, tasting the venom on his skin. He chuckled, scraping his teeth over her neck once again, and she arched against him in response.

"You must tell me what it is you want." Thane nipped at her ear, and her eyes fluttered closed, her jaw tightening reflexively around his thumb but not enough to hurt him.

She released his thumb and he dragged it across her lips, leaving a trail of venom. "Why?" she asked, the word coming out almost a whine.

"Because I _requested_ ," he whispered into her ear. "And you _demanded_. I _asked_ and you attempted to _take_."

Her face flushed, feeling chastened. She met his gaze in the glass, and despite seeing nothing but the black brille covering his eyes, she felt the heat in his gaze. Pulling the corner of her lower lip in between her teeth, she sucked in a deep breath, throwing up the last of her defensive walls, protecting her heart as she swallowed her pride. "I want you to fuck me."

His smirk grew, and he gave her a light shake of his head. "Such vulgarity."

Moving his hand from her face, he grabbed her hip and eased her away from the metal and glass, just enough to slip his hand between her and the wall. She felt him, hard against her ass, and licked her lips in anticipation. Deft fingers found the button to her pants and worked it free, tugging them opened in the front, but then his hand retreated again, leaving her dismayed.

Lifting the hem of her shirt, he splayed his hand out over her stomach, the warmth of his palm against her skin stealing her breath. "Then _ask_ ," he said, holding her gaze in the reflection.

She let out a whimper, face flushing once more. He lowered his mouth to her neck again, trailing his lips over her skin as he nuzzled aside her collar. Teeth sinking into her trapezius hard enough to send a wave of heat and need coursing through her. She groaned, the sound far more from arousal than annoyance, closing her eyes and rolling her head to the side. Tongue darting out, he licked the teeth marks left in her flesh, making her weak in the knees.

When she opened her eyes again, she realized everything took on a soft haze, Thane's venom working it's way into her system, no doubt. She licked her lips again, still picking up traces of it with her tongue. She tightened her fist around his vest, and he responded by pulling her flush against him again, preventing her from having even that much control. When she relaxed again, he slid his hand further up her abdomen, fingers trailing over her ribs.

"Ask, Shepard." He licked and nipped his way up her neck before stopping at her ear, tugging at the lobe between his teeth. " _Ask_."

She huffed, letting her voice croak wordlessly. "Please?" she finally gave in, despite the rush of embarrassment it caused her.

He hummed, adjusting his grip on her wrist to turn her around to face him, keeping her arm pinned against the window. It left her other arm free again, but the second she tried to reach for him, he closed his fingers around her wrist and brought it up next to the other. He stayed like that, perfectly still, until she relented and met his gaze. "Please what?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling and tried again, "Please … will you fuck me now?"

Brow ridge lifting, he gave her a light shake of his head. "I do not _fuck._ " The corner of his lip twitched, as if the word left a bad taste in his mouth. " _Fucking_ is impersonal, irreverent. An act filled with avarice. If I share my flesh with someone, it carries weight, meaning, even if only for a night. Their body a gift freely given, something to be honored and lavished with as much pleasure as it provides."

"It's just a word, Thane." Shepard's shoulders dropped. Why go through all of that just to tell her no and make her feel like some sort of deviant for her word choice.

"No," he said, bringing her left arm down to settle her hand against his shoulder, pressing her fingers against the leather in silent request for her to keep them there. "It _is_ more than a word, and I don't think it's what you truly want from me, siha." Bringing his fingers to her chin, he tilted her head up a little, his voice soft and imploring as he asked, "Am I wrong?"

She averted her gaze, heart pounding against her ribs, feeling on the verge of a panic attack. Something she hadn't felt since her first week of basic training. Well, besides for when she realized her suit sustained a rupture as she floated away from the _Normandy_ , out over Alchera. "No," she finally said, the word nothing more than a whisper, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.

"Then why come to me with the intent to command and conquer?" His voice carried a soothing quality despite the hint of confusion … and maybe something else, something wounded. "Your soul tucked away, behind an iron cage?"

Shepard shrugged, lowering her head even more. "It felt safer."

"Ah." He traced his thumb over her lips again, and she risked meeting his gaze. "You needn't guard yourself with me, siha." Slowly, holding her gaze as if asking permission and giving her the chance to say no, he bowed his head until his lips brushed over hers. "Will you allow me to _share_ my flesh with you, a gift freely given?"

"Yes," she whispered against his lips.

Thane smiled, tilting his head a little more to close his mouth over hers, tongue slipping past her lips. Loosening his grip on her wrist, he moved his hand to her hip, urging her closer, other hand leaving her chin to slide along her jaw, cupping her face. Hesitant, she left her arm bent over her head, pressed against the glass at first, afraid if she moved it, he might stop. She really didn't want him to stop. After a few seconds, she forgot her hesitancy, forgot her doubts and fears, and she lowered her arm, sliding it over his shoulder to wrap around his neck.

His kiss picked up speed, tongue reaching deeper into her mouth, hand sliding beneath her shirt to run his fingers over her ribs before slipping around to her back, guiding her closer until she pressed against him. Feeling more confident, she let her hands roam, tracing the ridges of his frills, pulling a moan from him to vibrate against her fingers. He shifted his hand, fingers tightening in her hair as he broke the kiss. He used his grip at the base of her skull to tilt her head back, and he trailed his tongue and teeth down her sensitive skin, making her gasp and cling tighter to him with every nibble.

Pulling her arms down between them, Shepard tugged at the buckles over his vest, sliding them free. His hand pushed further up her back, slipping beneath the strap of her bra before his fingers curled in, nails scraping across her skin on his way back down. Breath hitching, heart stuttering in her chest, she arched her back, feeling goosebumps rising up along her spine. The last buckle free, she worked at the zipper, tugging it down and pushing the vest open. She pressed her palm against the hard muscles of his abdomen, sliding it up over his chest, her breath hitching again at the warmth of his smooth scales beneath her hand. He let out something that sounded an awful lot like a purr before biting into the side of her neck, the sensation suspended perfectly on the precipice between intense pleasure and pain.

Thane's fingers caressed their way back up her spine as he turned his head, rubbing the frills of his jaw along her neck and shoulder. He stopped at her bra strap, feeling out the clasp for only a second before slipping a finger beneath, trapping it between thumb and fingers, and popped it loose with impressive ease. "I thought … hoped you might come to me," he said, voice low and husky against her ear. "I have never been with a human; I looked into some things." Sweeping down her back, he shifted his arm to pull his hand around to her front without breaking contact and slid his hand up between her breasts, tugging her bra away as he pressed his palm over her sternum and her thundering heart. "You will tell me if your preferences differ from what I have learned?"

"Yes," she whispered then licked her lips, "but I've never been with a drell, either."

He pulled back, grip on her hair going slack, and met her gaze. "Then it will be my pleasure to teach you." He kissed her, hand leaving her hair completely to join the other beneath her shirt. Pushing her shirt and bra up over her breasts, he brushed his thumbs over her already hard nipples, tearing a soft whimper from her throat.

Sliding her hands between his vest and scales, she ran her hands along his sides, stopping to squeeze and knead at his waist and lower back. He cupped her breasts, pinching her nipples, twisting and pulling, and she dug her fingertips into his sides, tugging him closer to her. Moving one of his hands to her hip, he turned her, guiding her backwards until her ass hit the edge of the table. He brought his hands to her waist, picking her up and setting her on the table before lifting her shirt and bra up over her head.

As soon as her hands were free again, she shoved and tugged at Thane's jacket and vest until she managed to get them off of him, tossing them on the back of a chair. She let her gaze and her fingers roam over him, taking in sculpted muscles and black on green stripes. He watched her, a seductive smile on his face, when she met his gaze. He reached out, pushing hair back from her face, tracing the shell of her ear before trailing his hand down her neck and over her shoulder. Using his thigh, he nudged her legs apart and stepped up to the table. Hooking his hands under her knees, he pulled her to the edge, bringing his mouth back to hers.

Shepard's world dissolved into nothing but sensations as she explored every inch of him she could get her hands or mouth on from her position. The feel of his fingers moving over her, kneading, scratching, and squeezing amplified the growing sense of desperation. Teeth, lips, and tongue left trails of heat along her skin, sending ripples through her muscles, straight down between her legs. She squirmed closer, wrapping her ankles around his thighs, pressing herself against his erection, silently cursing the layers of leather and cotton still separating them.

Every touch, every taste felt like so much _more_ as his venom soaked into her, mixing with the endorphins already flooding her system. She dropped a hand down to the table behind her, using it to support her weight when he tugged at her hair again, dipping his head to lick and nip at her neck and shoulders. Tongue hot and wet, he trailed down further to lick the top curve of her breast, and she arched her back, offering herself up to him. Hand cupping her right breast, he lifted a little, mouth closing over her nipple. She moaned, squeezing her thighs around him, feeling her wetness spread out to soak her panties.

Thane lifted her hand to the back of his head, threading her fingers through the ridges of his crest. Uncertain of what he wanted, she slid her fingers back and forth through the dips between spikes, and he hummed, an approving sound, and left her hand to explore the protrusions on her own. His mouth moved to her other breast, trapping her nipple between his teeth in a gentle nip before sucking it into his mouth. Caressing her stomach and sides, he eased his way lower, fingers slipping between her waistband and hips as he brought his mouth back to hers, tongue delving into her mouth.

She tugged at his crest, urging him back so she could sit upright again. He moaned, the sound almost a growl, fingers digging into her hips. She met his mouth with growing hunger, tugging his lower lip between her teeth, tracing his lips with her tongue before joining his. Moving with the grain of his scales, she scraped her nails down his shoulder, earning her another throaty moan. He shifted, and a moment later she heard the shuffled sounds of him kicking his boots off. She dropped her hands to the front of his pants, unbuttoning the leather standing in her way, and he let her guide his pants down over his hips. Shepard pulled back, gaze fixed on each inch of him being exposed. Some part of her felt relieved to realize he wasn't so different from a human, at least not so much that she didn't know what to do with what he had to offer. And oh, he had a lot to offer.

He didn't give her long to take in the sights, though, or even the chance to touch before he backed away, watching her as he pushed his pants off the rest of the way and beckoned to her. She kicked off her boots and slid from the table, moving out to him, trailing her hand over his pectorals before leaning in to sweep her tongue over his chest. He hummed, sliding one hand into her hair, the other slipping down between her pants and skin to squeeze her ass. Wrapping her fingers around his length, she smirked at the shuddering breath he pulled in, leaning in to her touch.

Thane pulled back a little, catching her gaze before taking her free hand in his. Guiding her fingers to a denser patch of scales, almost more like a callous an inch or so to the left of his erection. "This area is particularly sensitive to heat and pressure." He licked his lips and swallowed when she pressed the heel of her hand against it, eyelids fluttering. "The same on the other side," he said, voice hoarse as she continued to stroke along the slight ridges of his cock.

She smiled leaning into him, trailing her tongue along the frills at the base of his throat. "What else?"

He let out a soft chuckle. "There is also a sensitive location. I am particularly fond of being bitten, and biting, you might have noticed."

"Mmm. Good, so am I." Turning her head, she pushed up on her toes a little to bring her teeth to the side of his neck, mimicking the pressure he'd used with her to bite into his frills.

He groaned, hips pushing him further into her hand, tilting his head to rub his jaw over her head. Hands sliding along her sides, he eased her pants down over her hips, letting them drop down around her ankles once they were free of the curve of her ass. She stepped out of them, licking his frills, and kicked her pants aside.

"Will you come lay down with me?" he asked, rubbing his face against her again. "I want to know what you taste like."

Nipping at his neck, Shepard let go of his cock and slid her hand into his, leading him towards the cot tucked back behind the table. He tugged her in against him, cock pressing against her stomach and kissed her, hot tongue moving against hers. Slipping his fingers beneath the rim of her panties, he pushed them down, stopping to squeeze her ass before pushing them down her thighs. She stepped out of them, breath catching in her throat as he pressed his palm against her, cupping her before sliding down further, fingers urging her thighs apart. Slickening his fused digits between her folds, Thane let out a soft purr of sound and nipped at her neck. Moaning, she took him in hand again, squeezing a little as she pumped her hand up and down his shaft, anticipating the feel of him inside of her.

Easing her back on the cot, he ran his hands along the outside of her thighs. He moved onto the cot with her, settling himself between her legs to lean over her, kissing and licking his way over her breasts and down her stomach. Stopping to rub his frills over her hips and along her thighs, he ran his hand through the coarse patch of hair between her legs, making her shiver with need. Hot breath taunting her, he lowered his face to her, tongue passing over her outer labia before dipping inside, lighting her on fire. She gasped, hips lifting off the cot just a hair. He settled his hand down over her navel before curling his fingers under, slowly scraping his nails across her skin, tearing another gasp from her.

He dragged his tongue through her, exploring every fold and crevice before sweeping back over her clit, circling the bundle of nerves, sending little ripples of pleasure through her. Pulling his hand back down, his fingers gently prodded her entrance, and she rolled her hips, lining herself up with them, welcoming the penetration. He slid his webbed fingers inside of her, twisting his hand to feel her out before settling on a spot just a little ways inside, rubbing small circles. Reaching down, she ran her fingers through his crest, urging him on.

As the pressure inside of her started to build, muscles starting to tighten as they chased the euphoric rush his mouth promised her, his movements became a little more urgent, a little more insistent. Shepard brought her other hand up over her head, groping around for the edge of the cot, and wrapped her fingers around the bar hidden by the pillow under her head. Writhing against his hand, she pushed herself down further on his hand, a soft whimper seeping from her throat. He adjusted to accommodate her, using longer, faster strokes.

"Fuck," she whispered, hand tightening around the metal frame of the cot.

Thane stopped, didn't retreat from her, just ceased his movements.

She looked down at him, eyes wide, almost frantic, to find him looking up at her. Muscles tightened around his fingers, desperate for more of the sensations. "Oh, God, no. Please don't stop."

He lowered his gaze once more, mouth closing around her, tongue pressed against her clit and slid his fingers deeper inside. She moaned, dropping her head back to the pillow, quickly regaining whatever ground she lost in his momentary lapse.

"F—" She caught her self, clamping her teeth down over her lip to keep the word from slipping out. "God, yes." Breath ragged, she clutched at his crest, grip tightening until she forced herself to pull away, not wanting to hurt him or make him feel she'd become too demanding. She raised it to grip the bar next to her other hand instead. "Oh." She let out a little whine, feeling the orgasm starting to roll up inside of her, mere heartbeats away. "Oh. Oh, God." It slammed through her, muscles spasming wildly, entire body shuddering as wave after wave washed over her, leaving her breathless.

Thane hummed, the new sensation sending a sharp, shock of pleasure through her as she collapsed against the cot. His fingers slowed to lazy, deep strokes, lips pressing gentle kisses to the inside of her thigh until her inner walls relaxed once more. He nipped at her thigh, making her insides twitch as he removed his fingers. Chest still heaving, Shepard rolled her head to look down at him, watching as he kissed the spot he bit. Pushing himself up, he pulled his knees in, arching his back into the air as he licked and nipped at her hips. She reached out, running her fingers over his crest before lowering them to his frills. He turned his face against her hand, kissing her palm before crawling forward, moving his hands to press into the cot on either side of her.

She tugged him down to her, covering his mouth with hers, tasting herself on his lips and tongue. Wrapping her hand around his ribs, she shifted to the side, urging him to trade places with her. He slid his arm under her, cradling her against him on the small cot as he rolled, pulling her atop him as he laid down. He tilted his head back when she ducked her head to scrape her teeth over his frills at his throat, his groan of pleasure vibrating against her lips.

Shepard took her time, still riding the high of her orgasm and his venom. Bit by bit, she tasted every inch of his neck, trailing tongue and teeth over frills and scales before moving on. Every curve she came across, she stopped to nip at, slowly making her way down his body. The slightly raised pads he'd shown her earlier stood out against his scales, almost more of a brown than a green. She eyed his cock, taking in the faint ridged texture, but left it alone for the time being. Instead, she brought her mouth to the sensitive pad to his right, savoring the gentle twitching of his muscles beneath her hands as she let her breath wash over it. She lapped at it, pressing her tongue flat against the pad before dragging it across, and he shuddered, bringing a hand down to stroke the top of her head.

Licking the pad again, she moved her hand to the one on the opposite side, stroking her thumb back and forth across it with varying pressure. Thane's cock twitched, and he moaned, bringing a smile to her face. She replaced her mouth with her other hand and got comfortable, knees on either side of his. Glancing up, she saw him watching her, and she held his gaze as she lowered her face to his cock, trailing her tongue over his length from base to tip. He stopped breathing as he watched her, eyes wide, hand falling still in her hair. She opened her mouth, closing her lips over the tip, and he sucked in a ragged breath. Lowering her gaze, she twirled her tongue around the head, willing the muscles of her throat to relax as she took him in deeper, thumbs still kneading at his pads—he didn't give them a name, so she didn't know what else to call them, but she sure did like the reactions they got out of him.

It wasn't long before she felt him becoming even more engorged, his breathing ragged. His steady, measured movements starting to become erratic, less controlled, something so unlike Thane it gave her a giddy sense of joy. She stopped before she pressed him too far, slowing her rhythm and pressure, giving him a moment to regain control. He reached down further, sliding the tips of his fingers under the edge of her jaw and gave her a gentle tug, urging her up. Releasing him from her mouth, she slid her hands up over his hips, scratching her way back down over his thighs before running her tongue over both of those delightfully sensitive pads.

He let out a helpless sort of chuckle, brushing his thumb over her cheek. "Please, siha?"

Shepard smiled, pushing herself to hands and knees and inched her way back up him, stopping to lick and nip at whatever spot caught her fancy along the way. As soon as she was close enough for him to reach, he cupped her left breast, closing his fingers around her nipple, his other hand gripping her hip. She leaned over him, kissing him, taking her time exploring his mouth and savoring the feel of his hands on her, letting it build her need back up. Reaching down between them, she took his cock in hand, grip gentle, giving him a few lazy strokes until he hummed in her mouth, pushing against her hand.

She lined him up, and he stilled completely, making her wonder just how much effort he exerted to control himself, trusting her to take the reins. Easing herself down on top him, her breath stuttered, coming out in puffs through her nose, leaving her mouth to brush over his tongue. The feel of him spreading her open, filling her completely, brought her back to the brink for a few precious, fleeting seconds as she settled around him. He pushed up into her, pulling on her hip, and she moaned, tucking her head under his chin to nip at his throat.

Rocking her hips, moving herself up and down, it wasn't long before that pressure started to build inside of her again. Thane's hands kneaded at her sporadically, tongue losing rhythm against hers when she kissed him again.

"Jesus," she whispered against his lips, picking up her pace as those first, gentle waves spread through her, building up to something bigger, something oh so much better.

She pushed up on her palms, giving herself more leverage, and he curled around her, arm wrapping around her waist, a hand squeezing her right breast, mouth on the other. He moved with her, thrusting up each time she came down. Shifting her weight to one hand, she threaded her fingers through his crest, fingertips digging into his scalp. It was building, so deep inside of her, tight and hot, every nerve ending on fire, stretching, reaching, and then, it all exploded at once. Head thrown back, her cries echoed back to her off the walls of Life Support, undoubtedly heard throughout the deck. Thane let out a low growl of his own, his grip on her tensing as he continued to buck his hips, thrusting himself inside of her even as she lost control, and then he pressed his forehead against her sternum and a shudder ripped though him, pulsing against her inner walls.

Chest heaving, Shepard loosened her grip on Thane's crest when he stopped moving, breath hot and heavy against her skin but starting to even out again. He tilted his head back to look at her, lifting his chin, offering his mouth up to her. She kissed him, with the frenzy of need behind them, their lips and tongue moved slow, languorously over one another. He eased back to rest against the pillow, pulling her down with him, hands trailing lightly over her back and hips.

After a few moments, she slid off of him, nestling in against his side to rest her head on his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her hand. He reached behind her, grabbing a blanket that had been shoved aside, crumpled and wedged against the wall, and pulled it over them before wrapping his arm around her.

Pressing his lips to the top of her head, he whispered, "Thank you, siha."


End file.
